A research-based sibling visitation program for the neonatal ICU

Sibling Visitation: Research Implications for Pediatric and Neonatal Patients

“…Five studies involved children less than twelve years old (Mackey & Miller, 1992 [5]; Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]; Nicholson et al, 1993 [9]; Simon, 1993 [13]; Solheim & Spellacy, 1988 [14]), although the minimum ages varied. One study cited the rationale for restricting children under three years old was due to the perception that toddlers are not able to cognitively comprehend illness in their infant sibling (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]). Another study based their intervention on the developmental tasks of Piaget and required the visitors to be at least five years old.…”

“…(11) Data were collected at different times during the patient's hospitalization ranging from 24 hours after admission (Simon, 1993 [13]) to four weeks after discharge (Solheim & Spellacy, 1988 [14]). Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, and Craft-Rosenberg (1997 [7]) utilized the Facilitated Child-Visitation Intervention (FCVI) for siblings of infants in a special care nursery. Nurses, with help from the parents, used the FCVI for siblings ages 3-13.…”

“…Because of the beneficial effects of sibling visitation, nurses can be instrumental in facilitating and encouraging policy changes that would incorporate more liberal sibling visitation policies. (7) Research regarding the issues surrounding the effects of hospitalization on children began to appear in the literature in the early 1950s. This review examines nursing research that investigates the effects of visitation on nonhospitalized siblings.…”

“…Criteria for inclusion were siblings ages 3-13 years in good health with a lack of recent exposure to chicken pox or other communicable diseases (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]), siblings ages 5-12 who experienced the hospitalization of an ill sibling for at least 24 hours and were closest in age to the hospitalized child (Simon, 1993 [13]), children (ages 13 months to greater than 60 months) of women who had just delivered another child (Mackey & Miller, 1992 [5]), infants 38-42 weeks of age (Solheim & Spellacy, 1988 [14]), and children from 5-17 years old who had an adult family member in the SICU and a nonhospitalized adult family member (NHAFM) who agreed to participate in the study (Nicholson et al, 1993 [9] [14]) and Southeast (Simon, 1993 [13]). One of the studies took place in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]), another in the adult ICU (Nicholson et al, 1993 [9]), two were initiated on postpartum floors (Mackey & Miller, 1992 [5]; Solheim & Spellacy, 1988 [14]), and one utilized a pediatric unit (Simon, 1993 [13]). Montgomery nicely described the nursing practices and characteristics that may have had an effect on the needs of the families in their special care nursery (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]).…”

“…One of the studies took place in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]), another in the adult ICU (Nicholson et al, 1993 [9]), two were initiated on postpartum floors (Mackey & Miller, 1992 [5]; Solheim & Spellacy, 1988 [14]), and one utilized a pediatric unit (Simon, 1993 [13]). Montgomery nicely described the nursing practices and characteristics that may have had an effect on the needs of the families in their special care nursery (Montgomery, Kleiber, Nicholson, & Craft-Rosenberg, 1997 [7]). None described the philosophies of the institutions in relation to family-centered care.…”